Metal rolling mill



March 22, 11932. J LANE T AL 1,850,885

METAL ROLLING MILL Filed April 13, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 22, 1932. LANE ET AL 1,850,885

METAL ROLLI NG MILL Filed April 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [71 Uefilons Jam as Z. L an-e Jlfred hJl Joore Patented Mar, 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT A OFFICE .rmss L. Lana,

OF CHICAGO, AND ALFRED H. MOORE, 01 OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, AS-

SIGNOBS TO LINK-BELT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS METAL ROLLING 'IILL Application and s m 13, ms. Serial no; 209.1151

Our invention relates to metal rolling machines and has for one object to provide a new and improved apparatus for rolling or forming metal. It

as an apparatus for rolling helical strips of metal such as may be used in connection with spiral conveyors from flat bar or strip stock but can be used for other purposes where that is desirable.

. One object 'of the invention is to provide a metal forming or rolling apparatus wherein it is not necessary to use pre-cut blanks and wherein a continuous blank may the apparatus and cut off after the desired length has been reached and still leave the work in the machine ready to start up a ain when more of the same product is desire Another object of the invention is to provide a type of roll wherein the rolls or form- 0 ing elements which form the blank are so disposed that they cover a minimum area so as to make it possible for other'operations to be performed on the blank simultaneously with the rolling or forming of the blank itself such as for instance, the insertion of a central shaft in the helical coil and the like.

Another object is to provide a forming device where the forming rolls or members are arranged generally at right angles to each so other. Other objects will appear from time to time throughout'the specification and claims.

The invention is diagrammatically in the accompanying drawin s, whereinigure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a machine adapted to carry out the invention;

Figure 2 is a chine;

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 Fi ure 3.

ike parts are indicated by l1ke characters throughout the several figures.

A is a supporting frame. In it is mounted for. rotation the hollow cylindrical roll A. This 'roll is supported at both ends in the frame as indicated and has at one end a 40 front elevation of the mais particularly designed be fed into illustrated more or less of conveyor flights.

guide and has engaged t 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of cupped or concave .working face A. A is a thrust bearing. The frame A is associated.

with an adjustable thrust block A to prevent longitudinal movement of the roll. A is a hub mounted on the roll A between its two bearings in the frame A and this hub carries a bevel gear A.

B is a generally cylindrical or very slightly tapered roll. Its axis of rotation is generally at right an les to the axis of rotation of the roll A an its cylindrical working face B 15 in opposition tocthe working face of the roll A the end of the roll being substantially tangential to the inner diameter of the roll A. This roll B is located at the end of a drive shaft B mounted for rotation in the frame A, being supported in bearings at both ends thereof. B is a hub on the shaft B between said bearings and it carries a bevel gear B in mesh with the gear A. The shaft B extends upwardly and ma be driven by any suitable means not here s own in detail,

the driving of this shaft resulting in driving the rolls A and B in unison.

Pro ecting laterally from the frame is a stock guide. This stock guide takes the form of a solid or channeled ocket O through which a strip of bar stock may be fed and guided into the space between the opposed worklng faces of the rolls. This stock guide 15 removable, being held in place by the cap screws C so that different or adjustable guides may be provided for the various sizes of bar stock required for the different sizes No feeding means are provided in connection with the stock 'de. Once the stock has been passed throug the e roll, the rolls A and B themselves draw in the stock at the rate at which it is to be worked in the manner usual to rolling mill practice.

The flight guide comprises a base to the frame A by means of i From it projectsupwardly the bracket D which carries a guide head D located in front of the roll A ssociated with the bracket D is a removable bracket D which bracket is held on the member D by the cap screws D. D is-a guide head on the member D in opposition to the guide head D. These two guide D bolted' cap screws D heads cooperate to form a helical guide slot so positioned as to receive the flight after it has been passed between and been formed by the rolls and guide it along a helical path awag from the rolls, giving it the desired itc p E is a shaft feeding and rotating mechanism located in line with the hollow c lindrical roll and adapted to feed the sha longitudinally through the roll to cause the rate of rotation and rate of longitudinal feed of the shaft to correspond to the rate of feed and rotation of the finished fli ht. The details of this shaft feeding mec anism form no part of the present invention and I have therefore neither disclosed or described them.

In commercial ractice spiral conveyors have their spiral ights mounted on plpe or shafts and they are so referred to in the trade. In this specification I refer only to shaft using that in its generic sense as applied to an element whether such as a cold rolled sha or hollow as a pipe which serves as a central supporting shaft about which spiral flights are wound.

The contours of the opposed faces of the rolls are fixed empirically. In general the solid roll is cylindrical or very slightly conical or tapered. The hollow or tubular roll is concave and it might be conical but preferably the surface is a curved surface, the radius of curvature of the surface decreasing outwardly. When these contours are established different thickness of metal may be formed by changing the distance between the working faces of the rolls, which is done by unscrewing or screwing in the holding sleeve. The forward movement of the hollow roll is limited by the shoulder as indicated. When the holding sleeve is backed off the roll clears the shoulder but is held in place by the metal squeezed between the two rolls and no separate means are needed for holding it back against the sleeve.

The use and operation of this invention are as follows:

The operator feeds a strip of stock and it may be bar stock in straight lengths or strip stock wound in rolls as the case may be. The end is fed in through the stock guide into engagement with the working face of the rolls. As the rolls rotate they draw the fiat flight forming stock in between their working faces. It will be noted that the distance between the faces decreases outwardly so that the flight as it is formed is thicker toward the center than toward the periphery. This gives an elongation of the outer periphery of the flight and causes it to form an approximate spiral. The spiral flight thus formed is guided through, the fixed guides to give it proper pitch. As this flight travels out through the guide it rotates about a central axis being supported on a carrier. bar which holds the opposed working faces decreasing outwardly along the radius of the endface.

2. In a formin machine, two rolls mount,- ed for rotation afiout axes substantially perpendicular to each other and having opposed working faces, one on the end, the other on the side of its roll, the lines formed by the intersection of the two working faces with the plane in which both axes of rotation are located being inclined to each other.

3. In a forming machine, two rolls mounted for rotation about axes substantially perpendicular to each other and having opposed working faces, one on the end, the other on the side of its roll, the working face on the end of the'roll being concave.

4. In a formin machine, two rolls mounted for rotation a out axes substantially perpendicular to each other and having opposed working faces, one on the end, the other on the side of its roll, the working face on the end of the roll being concave, the working face on the side of the roll being generally conical.

5. In a forming machine, two rolls mount ed for rotation about axes substantially perpendicular to each other and having 0 posed working faces, one on the end, the otli the side of its roll, the working face on the end of the roll being concave, the diameter of the working face on the side of the roll varying along its axis of rotation.

6. In a forming machine, two rolls mounted for rotation on axes substantially perpendicular to each other, one of the rolls being solid, the other tubular, the tubular opening extending longitudinally throughout the entire length of the roll and its support", the solid roll terminating adjacent the periphery of the tubular aperture through the other roll whereby a bar may be introduced through the tubular 'roll without interference by the solid roll.

7. In a forming machine, two rolls mounted for rotation on axes substantially perpendicular to each other, one of the rolls being solid, the other tubular, working faces on thle1 side of the solid and the end of the tubular ro 8. In a forming machine, two rolls one of them solid the other tubular, working faces on the side of the solid and the end of the tubular roll, the solid roll terminating adjacent the periphery of the tubular aperture through the other roll whereby a bar may be introduced through the tubular roll without interference by the solid roll.

er OD 5, on the side of the solid and the end of the 'd introduced through the tubular roll without 9. In a forming machine, two rolls mounted for rotation on axes substantially perendicular to each other, one of the rolls be-' mg solid, the other tubular, wor g faces tubular rolls, the working face on the S011 roll terminating generally in line with the inner periphery of the working face on the tubular roll. a 10. In a forming machine, two rolls one of them solid, the other tubular, working faces on the side of the solid and the end of the tubular rolls, the working face on'the solid roll terminating generally in line with the inner periphery of the working face on the tubular roll. y 11. In a forming machine, two rolls mounted for rotation on axes substantially perpendicular to each other and means for guidpendicular to both axes, means for guiding the helical stri of material formed from the blank and disc ar ed from between the rolls along a helical pat the axis of which is generally parallel with the axis of one of the rolls.

'12. In a forming machine, two rolls mounted for rotation on axes substantially perpendicular to each other and means for guiding the helical strip of material formed from a blank and discharged'from between the rolls along a helical path the axis of which is generally parallel with the axis of one of the rolls.

13. In a forming machine, two rolls mounted for rotation on axes substantially perpendicular to each other, one of the rolls being solid, the other tubular, means for guiding the helical strip of material formed from a blank and discharged from between the rolls along a helical path, the axis of which is generally parallel with the axis of the tubular roll.

14. In a formingmachine, two rolls one of them solid, the other tubular, means for iding the helical strip of material formed om v a blank and discharged from between the rolls alon a helical path, the axis of which is general y parallel with the axis of the tubular roll.

15. In a forming machine, two rolls mounted for rotation on axes substantially perpendicular to each other, one of the rolls being solid, the other tubular, the tubular opening 5 extending longitudinally throughout the entire length of the roll and its support, the solid roll terminating adjacent the periphery of the tubular aperture through the other rollwhereby a bar may be introduced throu h interference by t e solid roll, and guide means associated with the rolls adapted to bend andguide a strip passed between them and wind it about a bar 1 passing through the tubular roll.

16. In a forming machine, two rolls one of ing a blank between them along a line perworking on the side of the solid and the end of the tubular roll, the solid roll terminating adjacent the periphery of the tubular aperture through the other roll whereby a bar may be the tubular roll without interference by the solid roll, and guide means associated with the rolls adapted to bend and guide a strip passed between them and wind t about a bar passing through the tubular roll.

17. A machine for making spiral conveyors com rising a hollow roll having an annular wor ing face on the end thereof, a roll mounted for rotation on an axis generally perpendicular to, and terminating substantially-in line with the inner eriphery of the hollow roll, and a su the working ace of the hollow roll.

18. A machine for making spiral conveyors comprising a hollow roll having an annular working face on the end thereof, a roll mounted for rotation on an axis generally perpendicular to, and-terminating substantially in line with the inner periphery of the hollow roll, and a support therefor out of line with the working face of the hollow roll, means for gulding a stri of material into the space between the wor 'ng face of the rolls and means for guidin a conveyor flight formed from such strip y the action of the. rolls along a spiral path, the axis of which is parallel with the axis of the hollow roll.

19. A machine for making spiral conveyors comprising a hollow cylindrical roll havmg a working face on the end thereof and adapted to permit longitudinal feed of a shaft therethrough, a roll having a working face on the side thereof in opposition to the working face of the hollow roll and terminating adj acent the periphery of the shaft which is fed through the hollow roll.

20. A machine for making spiral conveyors comprising a hollow cylindrical roll having a working face on the end thereof and ada ted to permit longitudinal feed of a sha therethrough, a roll having a working face on the side thereof in opposition to the face of the hollow roll and terminatmg ad] acent the periphery of the shaft which is fed through the hollow roll, the space between the working face of the two rolls decreasing from the shaft outwardly.

21. A machine for making spiral conveyors comprising a hollow cylindrical roll having a working face on the end thereof and adapted to permit'longitudinal feed of a shaft therethrough, a roll having a working face on the side thereof in opposition to the working face of the hollow roll and terminating adjacent the periphery of the shaft which is fed through the hollow roll, a guide associated with said rolls and adapted to conduct material as it is discharged from between the rolls port t erefor out of line with and direct it in a spiral path around-the aft.

22. A machine for making spiral conveyors comprising a. hollow roll having an annular working face on the end thereof, a roll mounted for rotation on an axis generally perpendicular to, and terminating substantially in line with the inner periphery of the hollow roll.

23. A machine for making spiral conveyors comprising a hollow roll having an annular working face on the end thereof, a roll mounted for rotation on an axis generally perpendicular to, and terminating substantially in line with the inner periphery of the hollow roll, means for guiding a strip of material into the space between the working face of the rolls and means for guiding a conveyor flight formed from such strip by the action of the rolls along a spiral path parallel with the axis of the hollow roll.

Si ed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, this 24th day of March,

JAMES L. LANE. ALFRED H. MOORE. 

